Liquid-volume indicator



May 11 1926.

A. URFER LIQUID VOLUME INDICATOR Filed June 19, 1924 Fig. i.

@trpied May 1v1, 1926.-

UNfiTEn STATES' Vluiiisirr ori-ica ADOLPH UBFER, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

' .LIQUID-VOLUME INDICATOR..

I Application led June 19, Serial ANo. 720,883.

The invention relates to devices for indi- Cating at a distance the level of a liquid in a reservoir, and more especially in certain aspects to means for maintaining reliable indications under varying conditions of operation.

It is a .principal object of the'inventionr to `provide a device directed to. maintaining accurate indie-ations upon a gage or other indicator located at a distance from the reservoir in which the liquid to be measured is'conf part will be obvious herefrom, or may be earned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts,

constructions, arrangements, combinations Aand improvements herAein shown and described-A The accompanying drawings, referred to erein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the rinciples of the invention.

Of the diawings Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of a mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a somewhat different form of the mechanism atthe upper part'iof Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partly diagrammatic lshowing of the entire device; and

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectionof a somewhat diiierentform of the device.

The invention is directed to maintaining 'accurate indications upon a gage or other indicating device located at a distance 'from a liquid-containing reservoir ofl tlie height vwith the quantity of liquid inthe tank.

'or quantity of liquid in the reservoir. In

certain of its features, the invention protvides suoli means mounted on a'vehicle and operated by the motion ofthe vehicleto maintain the gage readings or' other indications accurate, that is in exact conformit ',The inventionis, therefore, exemplarily shown as applied to an automotive vehicle in connection with 'the gasolene or other -fnel tank, and a indicating gage on the dashboard, the gage operatingby air pressure, whichl pressure is regulated by the heigh`t, i. e., the quantityof liquid in the fuel tank.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying drawings, the

gasolene or other fuely tank 1 of an automotive vehicle, such as an ordinary motor i car, has a supply of gasoleneor other liquid fuel 2 therewithin. The tank has a screw cap covered opening 3`for replenishment of the fuel. Themeans for supplying the -fuel from the tankto the engine is not shown, but may be of any known or suitable form.

Within the liquid fuel 2 in the tank lis a device 4et, to be later fully described, for measuring the liquid pressuref due to the depth of the liquidl by its corresponding pressure on air contained within thedevice.

There are connections, including apipe 5, from this, pressure measuring device-4 for transmitting the pressure to a gage 6, which gage is marked or calibrated to give a reading in terms of the height offthcliquid in the reservoir, or preferably the equivalent thereof `iiigallons, or other measure 'of I volume.

Inpractice it has been found that in in dicating devices operating" by the liquid pressure being transmitted to an entrapped .body of air, which pressure in turn is traiismitted by the air to a gage, there are losses of the entrapped air. which render the gage readings inaccurate andk misleading.

Among the causes which eifect or contribute to this pernicious air leakage are extreme inclinations of the vehicle and tank; swashing of the liquid in the tank; the rise of temperature in the tank, causing expansion of the air in the expansion chamber'and `line (causingloss of air), with subsequent fall or temperature and contraction 'of volume of the air (and coiisequentchange of level of yliquid-in the device) leakage at connections, etc. The escape of'air from the expansionchamber causes the liquid to rise in the pressure transmitting chamber,`and this causes an 'erroneous and misleading reading on the gage.

l In the present embodiment, a pressure ex bottom of tliefueltank 1. It is of cylin y changing o r transmitting chamber 4 is i placed within and rests upon' or near the n use-iu f iilniteii to the speciic mechanisms shovvn and described but departures may be madethererom within the scope of the accompsnyinw claims without departing from the principes of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What fi cieim ise- 1. A device for indicating the quantity of liquid in e reservoir including an air-containin @essuie-transmitting chamber immerse in and communicating with the liquid in tile reservoir, an external pressureresponsive indicator having an air connec tion te the chamber, and a reciprocating inertie air pump adapted to be operated by bodiiy movement imparted to the pump so lliquid in a reservoir inclu .adapted to as to force air into saidchamber to replenish the air supply therein.

2. A device for indicatin the quantity of (ing in comb1ne- 20 tion an air-containing pressure-transmitting chamber immersed 1n and communicatin withthe liquid in the reservoir, an externa pressure-responsive indicator havin an air connection be actuated by the motion of a. vehicle on which the tank may be mounted for replenishing the loss of air from said chamber.

In testimony whereo'fyl have signed my 30 name to this specification.

ADOLPH URFER.'

to the chamber and inertia means 25 I 

